Category Archives: Special Section
August 2020
Collegiate Twirlers Suffer High Rates of Lower Extremity Injuries
Baton twirling, which has been around in some form since military groups first twirled torches and rifles, is evolving into a highly competitive sport, drawing ever larger numbers of youth athletes. Today’s twirling is a unique performance-based sport that emphasizes strength, athleticism, and artistry. It requires fine coordination of fingers, hands, arms, feet, and legs, as well as extraordinary control of the back, stomach, and torso—all so the twirler can control the baton. Continue reading
August 2020
Dance-related Injuries on the Rise
Dancing can be a beautiful work of art, a great form of exercise, or a fun leisure activity. But increasingly, it is also the cause of injuries requiring an emergency room visit. Such visits rose by 22.5% from 2014 to 2018, according to new research presented at the 2020 NATA Virtual Clinical Symposia & AT Expo held July 2020. Nearly half of the patients reported to the emergency department with a sprain or… Continue reading
August 2020
Movement Control Differs with Age in Children
Movement control, the ability to control one’s own movements, is required for the development of motor skills and motor skills (also known as “physical literacy”) are critical for normative development. Movement skills help children improve their strength, posture, balance, and sleep, and play in role in developing confidence. Age-appropriate movement control may play a factor in lower extremity injuries which are known to… Continue reading
August 2020
Sport Specialization Ups Fracture Risk for Female Military Cadets
Early sports specialization appears to take an even greater toll on young females than previously thought. Research presented at the recent 2020 NATA Virtual Clinical Symposia & AT Expo suggests that prior sports specialization is associated with an increased risk of a lower extremity stress fracture in female U.S. Service Academy cadets, but not males during their first year of service. Continue reading
May 2020
Pole Walking Offers Health Benefits, Improved Gait Parameters
The use of trekking poles while walking has been around for decades, having originated in Finland as a way for skiers to maintain fitness off season. Since then, pole walking has been capitalized and expanded upon as the health benefits of this total body workout have been recognized, and in recent years has gained in popularity in the US. Continue reading
May 2020
Use of a Wearable Plantar Sensory Neuroprosthesis Improves Fall Risk
One of the complications of peripheral neuropathy is a lack of sensation in the feet. This, in turn, can cause difficulties with gait and balance, as well as increased fall risk. As a means of addressing these issues, Lars Oddsson, PhD, developed a neuroprosthesis, called Walkasins, to replace the lost sensation.
By Laura Fonda Hochnadel Continue reading
April 2019
Exploring 3D printing in Prosthetics
3D-printed Sockets Safe? There are approximately 2 million people living with an amputation in the United States, a number that is expected to increase to 3.6 million by 2050 according to recent studies. In the poster, “Clinical Trial Examining Safety and Feasibility of Definitive 3D-Printed…
By Keith Loria Continue reading
September 2018
Low Cost Insulin Spray Improves Healing of Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Spraying insulin into an open wound improves the healing of diabetic foot ulcers in diabetic patients—both type 1 and type 2, reported a poster entitled, The Outcomes of Local Flushing of Insulin on Wound Healing in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers. Continue reading
September 2018
Foot Type Determines Effect of Orthotics on Muscle Activity
Adding a lateral bar beneath foot orthoses does not significantly alter activity in the pronator muscles in people with high-arched feet, according to preliminary data from a poster entitled, Effects of Two Types of Foot Orthoses on the Biomechanics of Participants with Cavus Feet During Walking. Continue reading
September 2018
Treating Vascular Malformations Without Surgery
Arteriovenous malformation can be managed non-surgically according to a poster presented by Rothman Institute podiatrists Faith Schick, PDM, and Nicholas Taweel, DPM. DPT. Their case report detailed how they resolved the patient’s symptoms and the case, highlighting the opportunities for non-operative treatment in this condition. Continue reading
September 2018
Office-based Toe Amputations Are Safe and Efficient
As patients seek more affordable care options, moving surgical procedures from the hospital-based operating room to less expensive, more convenient locations is one tactic being explored. But can such procedures be done safely in these outpatient settings? New research from Podiatrists in the Department of Surgery at the Southern Arizona Veteran Affairs Health Care System provides evidence that they can…and that patients like the convenience. Continue reading
September 2018
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Creates Positive Clinical Outcomes in an Outpatient Setting
A new, disposable negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) system effectively reduced the volume of varied wound types on four patients in an outpatient setting, reported Windy Cole, podiatrist at University Hospitals Ahuja Medical center, in a poster entitled, Management of Small, Lower Extremity Wounds in the Ambulatory Setting Using a Disposable, Mechanically Powered Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System. Continue reading
August 2018
K-Tape Could Be Helpful in Treatment of Dancers
Nearly 70% of university level ballet and modern dancers report ankle sprains, and 75% have been identified as having chronic ankle instability (CAI). Yet, unlike collegiate football or basketball players, half do not receive medical care for these injuries. Why not? White ankle tape, braces, and boots do not help a dancer improve live performance. Continue reading
August 2018
Resistance Bands, BAPS, or Combo—All Work Well in CAI Rehab
Three 10- to 20-minute sessions per week for 4 weeks of resistance bands, BAPS board, or a combination of the two, worked equally well as rehabilitative treatment for chronic ankle instability (CAI) in high school and adolescent athletes, according to the findings presented in the poster, A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Effects of a 4-Week Ankle Rehabilitation Program on… Continue reading
August 2018
Ankle ROM in CAI
As part of a larger investigation and evolution of rehabilitation paradigms for those with chronic ankle instability (CAI), Cameron J. Powden, PhD, LAT, ATC, assistant professor, Department of Applied Medicine and Rehabilitation at Indiana State University, led a research team with colleagues from the… Continue reading
August 2018
CAI Is Unique to Each Ankle, Treatment Should Be Too
“Balance training isn’t a cookie-cutter treatment that should be used for every patient with CAI,” said Christopher J. Burcal, PhD ATC, co-director of Omaha Sports Medicine Research Laboratory and assistant professor of athletic training at the University of Nebraska at … Continue reading
August 2018
Look at Reactive Balance After Sprain
To better understand how ankle sprains negatively affect balance, Kyung-Min Kim, Ph.D., ATC, assistant professor, University of Miami Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences, and South Korean colleagues looked at the effects of acute lateral ankle sprain (ALAS) on reactive balance. Their findings were presented in the poster, Reactive Balance Following Acute Lateral Ankle Sprain.5 Continue reading
July 2018
Current ACL Return-to-Sport Criteria Fails To Identify 2nd Injury Risk
For young, active individuals, returning to sport after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and not suffering a second injury is often difficult. Figuring out how to prevent reinjury is even more tricky, says Mark Paterno, PhD, PT, MBA, ATC from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio. Continue reading
July 2018
Young Athletes’ ACL Injury Risk Increases with Fatigue
ACL injuries are one of the most common sports injuries affecting adolescent athletes, leading to lost playing time and high healthcare costs. Athletes who experience fatigue – tested on a standardized assessment — demonstrated increased risk of ACL injury, according to this study, which is the first to measure the direct impact of fatigue on injury risk in the adolescent population. Continue reading
July 2018
Results for Female ACL Graft Repair Methods Differ Among Younger Athletes
Female athletes are 2 to 8 times more likely to injure their ACL than males, however utilizing one graft repair treatment method in females may be more beneficial than another, according to new research from Hytham Salem and colleagues from the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, PA. Their paper, “Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Young Females: Patella… Continue reading
July 2018
Older Patients with Knee Pain Benefit from Allograft Transplant Technique
Knee pain in active patients over 40 is often difficult to treat but utilizing a special kind of allograft may be a step in the right direction, according to research from Katlyn Robinson, BS and colleagues in a paper titled, “Efficacy of Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation in the Knee in Adults Forty Years and Older.” Continue reading
July 2018
Surgery Offers Young Patients Long-Term Benefits after Meniscus Tears
Young patients who underwent surgery for isolated meniscus tears between 1990 and 2005 showed positive long-term clinical results. The study represents one of the largest long-term follow-up cohorts describing clinical outcomes of meniscus repair in pediatric patients to date. Continue reading
June 2018
Gender Matters in Achieving Functional Performance
How many practice trials are needed to achieve functional performance in static and dynamic balance and hopping tests among those with chronic ankle instability (CAI)? That was the question Jordan Read, a student at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, and colleagues looked to answer in his poster, Recommended Number of Trials for Balance and Hopping Tests between Male and Female CAI.1 Continue reading
June 2018
The Effects of TT, FRT, and KT on Joint Angles and YBT Performance
Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a common issue in the athletic population. Although there are many prophylactic taping methods used to prevent repetitive ankle sprains, the effects of these taping methods in dynamic postural control are not clearly understood. Continue reading
June 2018
The Effect of CAI on Landing/Cutting Lower-Extremity Kinematics, EMG, and GRF
In the poster, Altered Movement Neuromechanics during Jump Landing and Cutting in Patients with Chronic Ankle Instability,3 Hyunsoo Kim, assistant professor of the Department of Kinesiology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA, and colleagues looked at altered movement pattern in patients with CAI to examine biomechanical factors for CAI. Continue reading
